The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved six new state SNAP food-choice waivers under the Make America Healthy Again initiative for 2026, including one submitted by Virginia. The announcement came Wednesday from Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said the Trump administration and participating governors share a goal of modernizing SNAP to promote healthier eating habits and help Virginians lead healthier lives.
“We all recognize that better nutrition is a critical step to making Virginia the strongest she’s ever been,” Youngkin said.
Other approved waivers came from Hawaii, Missouri, North Dakota, Tennessee, and South Carolina. These waivers will modify the statutory definition of “food for purchase” under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program starting in 2026.
“President Trump has made it clear: we are restoring SNAP to its true purpose – nutrition,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement. “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic diseases epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. thanked governors who he said are leading the effort on SNAP reform, adding that the U.S. cannot maintain a system “that forces taxpayers to fund programs that make people sick and then pay a second time to treat the illnesses those very programs help create.”
Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said the Trump administration is taking “a whole-of-government approach” to combat obesity and chronic disease.
“Thank you to the governors who are leading the charge on SNAP reform to restore the health of Americans—especially our kids,” Secretary Kennedy said. “Their courageous leadership is exactly what we need to Make America Healthy Again.”
CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz has worked with states on several health-focused initiatives, including the new SNAP waivers.
Gov. Youngkin added that these actions build on Secretary Rollins’ “Laboratories of Innovation” initiative, which invites governors to propose state-driven solutions to strengthen federal nutrition programs.
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